Bound to Repeat
by umbrella365
Summary: When Elphaba's daughter and Glinda's son are sent to Shiz together, history is bound to repeat itself. Will Glinda's son Aravic leave his peppy blonde girlfriend for Elphaba's daughter Glessa, or will Glinda stop what happened to her?
1. Chapter 1

Glessa's sparkling brown eyes gazed out the window at the soft glow of the rising sun. The light splayed out over the fields and meadows that surrounded her little cottage. She toyed nervously with her long, onyx plait and looked down at her small room, where she had lived her entire life. It was all about to go away.

"Gless?" she heard her mother's soft voice call from behind her door. "Are you up yet?"

"Yes," she murmured, still looking at the golden sun. Even though it had hurt her siblings' eyes to stare at it, she had never had any problem with it.

The door creaked open and there stood her mother, holding a tray filled with breakfast, beautiful as ever. Although Elphaba swore that she cared nothing about her appearance, Glessa had seen her mother brushing her hair and putting on makeup, trying to impress Glessa's father.

Glessa was the spitting image of her mother, besides the color of their skin. They both had the same intelligent chocolate eyes, defined cheekbones, and silky black hair. But while Elphaba's skin was the color of viridian satin, Glessa had her father's pale, rosy complexion.

"They you are, sweetheart." Elphaba set the tray down on Glessa's bed and came over to give her a hug. "You look lovely."

"Phhsh." Glessa looked at her toes. They had always had a greenish hue, ever since she was a baby. "No I don't. The last time I went to the city, nobody looked anything like me. Everyone was staring at me like I was some sort of freak."

"Hey," her mother said gently, tilting Glessa's chin up with her fingers. "Don't say that. You are going to be the most beautiful girl at Shiz, even if people don't recognize it at first. Okay?"

Glessa knew that it wasn't worth arguing about. "Thanks, Mom."

"Now go get ready."

As her mother walked out and closed the door, Glessa sighed. She wouldn't see her family again for weeks, months even. She just wanted to spend every last second with them.

After she had dressed and eaten a meager portion of her breakfast, she came out of her room. Her younger brother and sister greeted her.

"Surprise!" Andira squealed.

Liir threw confetti into the air. "You're finally leaving!"

"Thanks, squirt." She ruffled his brown hair. He pushed her hand away in his ten-year-old way.

Andira put her arms around Glessa and squeezed as hard as she could. "_I _don't want you to leave, Gless. I'm going to be left alone with _him!_"

Liir stuck his tongue out at Andira, and she returned the favor. Glessa was going to miss the twins' endless bickering. They were annoying little pests, but they were always there for her.

"Come on!" Liir pushed her forward. "You have to leave in like, four hours! There's no time to waste!"

She followed the twins into the living room, where their parents were talking. Her father looked up at her, and smiled.

"Gless! Honey! Oh, dear is that what you're wearing?" Elphaba nudged him. "I mean, you look great! I'm jus surprised that you would wear something so beautiful and flattering to school."

Though her father had abandoned his tendency to be shallow, he sometimes still talked without thinking. Glessa had become so used to his brainless comments that they didn't affect her anymore. She knew he didn't mean any harm.

"Oh, Glessa, honey, come sit down with us." They both made room for her on the couch.

She sat down, sure that his was going to be another awkward "and then the boy might do this" talks that she'd had with her parents so many times in the months leading up to her leaving.

"Glessa, dear, there is something that we know you are aware of that we must discuss with you."

"Sure," she said, rolling her eyes, wondering what this "imaginary boyfriend" was going to try to get her to do this time.

"Gless, you know that your mother was banished because of her magic, don't you?"

"Yes." Where was this going? Was it because she might do something with the magic she had inherited from her mother?

"Well. There's more to the story."

Glessa was in shock. Her mother…Glinda…Fiyero… Wow. She hadn't known exactly how any of it had happened. She'd though her mother had been banished just for being a witch, not because of… wow.

"Do you understand, dear?" Elphaba looked anxiously into her daughter's eyes.

"Yes," Glessa said, still dazed.

"You can't let anyone know who you truly are. Your parents are?"

"Trilanka and Marteirius Falkes. I'm a descendant of a wizard, which is why I have magical powers."

Fiyero beamed. "Thank Oz you didn't inherit my brain."

Glessa could barely make herself smile. What would happen if she were ever to see High Chancellor Glinda? Or her son? Would the thoughts going through her mind show on her face?

She gave herself a good shake. She couldn't be dancing about stunned like a little girl who believed in talking animals. What would her classmates at Shiz think?

"How long until the train?" she asked in a surprisingly strong tone.

Elphaba checked her watch. "Oh, dear. Just a couple of hours. Are you all packed?"

"Yes," Glessa said.

"And you've brought your toothbrush?"

"Yes."

"And you have all of your clothes?"

"Yes."

"And all of your little trinkets?"

"Yes."

"Well, I'm sure you're forgetting something. Oh, that reminds me," her mother said, "come with me. I have something for you."

Glessa followed her mother into her parents room, where her mother was chanting something quietly while looking at a… was that a frame? A book?

"Here," Elphaba said, handing her the…oh, it was a mirror. "If you ever need to talk to someone."

"I'll just talk to myself?"

Elphaba winked at her. "You'll see."

"Okay," Glessa rolled her eyes. "We better get going. The train leaves in like, a couple hours, and you _know _how long it takes to get out to the city."


	2. Chapter 2

Avaric's light blue eyes skimmed through the crowd of students coming off the train. Every person looked the same, same blonde or light brown or borderline medium brown hair, all styled the same way.

But hen his eyes fell on a girl with shiny black hair that was braided down her back. She looked very intelligent, and at the moment very anxious. She looked like she'd never set foot in a crowded square like this one before. She glanced up for a moment, and their eyes met for a split second. Suddenly, he was filled with different emotions. Hate at first, and then unsurity, and then love. She broke their gaze, and they all disappeared.

"Hey, are you a library book?"

He turned to see an attractive girl with light blond waves and pretty hazel eyes smirking at him.

"What? No."

"I don't know about that, 'cuz I've been checking you out ever since I got off that train."

He laughed. It was the cheesiest line he'd ever heard, but it was funny all the same.

"I'm Chylissa, but you can call me Lissa. Everyone else does."

"I'm-"

"Oh, I _know _who you are." Chylissa raised her eyebrow and smirked. "You're Aravic. I haven't been able to take my eyes off you for three years."

"Well, I haven't been able to take mine off you for two minutes," he smiled. "Hey, do you want to get dinner or something sometime?"

She tossed her golden curls over her shoulder. "I'll be ready at eight. I'm in dorm 14 of the Chenzel building. Don't be late."

And with a mysterious wave, she glided right back into the crowd.

_Well, _Aravic thought. _Five minutes after officially being a student at Shiz, and already a hot date. Not bad, Aravic. Not bad at all._

He tried to think about Chylissa, and where he would take her to dinner, and how pretty she was, but his thoughts kept drifting back to that girl. She had looked so different… so beautiful in a way he had never seen before. And yet… he felt like he'd seen her before, like she had been in the background of a dream…

"Ari?" A trilling, high voice called. "Where is my _handsome _boy?"

He groaned. "Yes, mother?"

His mother swished through the crowd in her puffy pink dress. "Ari! Who was that _girl _you were talking to? Hmm? Has my little Ari finally found himself a girlfriend?"

"Um, no, her name is Chylissa. I just met her and-"

"Wasn't she the loveliest little slip of a thing? Reminded me of myself when I was that age! I looked at her and I said to myself, Glinda, remember when you were young, and pretty, and a size 0? Those were the days! Wouldn't it be lovely if you two got married? Huh, Ari?"

"Mom! I just met her!"

Glinda winked. "But _you _asked _her _on a little date! Where are you going to take her?"

"I don't know, I was thinking maybe-"

"Polished Emerald! Yes, of course! I'll provide you the money, of course, that restaurant isn't cheap…"

Ari checked out of the conversation. Yes, he knew his mother had every right to be excited, since he hadn't been on a date in two years, but she really was taking this to the extreme. It always hurt him when she got her hopes up with every pretty girl, and they all let him and his mother down. He had never once gone on a second date.


	3. Chapter 3

Glessa heard the door to her dorm open. She had been wondering all afternoon who her roommate was going to be. Although it had been increasingly harder to think with that annoying the-high-chancellor's-son-oh-la-la blonde girl in her compartment talking to her friends about how she was finally going to talk to the High Chancellor's son.

"Girls, believe me," she had said, "once he get's a load of this-" she gestured to her revealing pink sparkly dress "-he won't be able to say no. That's just how it works with boys."

"Excuse me," Glessa had said irritably, "but could you please keep it down? I'm reading."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," the girl had said, and then to her friends, just loudly enough so that Glessa could hear, "What a nerd. Who is going to be friendless this year? That's right. Little Miss Stiff Geek here."

Glessa's fists balled up at the memory. _Gless, _she thought, _calm down. You don't want to seem like a hostile freak in front of your new roommate, do you?_

"I'll catch you guys later," a high voice sang as the door opened. "Hey, new roomie, I'm-"

Glessa's mouth dropped open. Miss I'm-so–much-better-than-everyone was her new roommate? Oh, no.

"You?" Glessa heard herself say rudely.

"I'm just as upset about this as you are!" the girl said with a look on her face that twisted her beautiful features. "I don't even know your name and I already…" She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I should give each person a fair, reasonable chance. Perhaps you've just been rude to hide your insecurities."

"Excuse me?" Glessa stood up.

"I understand that you probably are so insecure about your looks and… um, _smarts _that you try to make everyone think you are hostile and tough. My parents taught me things like that. I try to keep an open mind to people." She smiled, and Glessa's didn't even need her extra sense to see right through it.

Glessa put on a fake smile of her own and made her voice more cheerful. "You just know everything about me don't you?"

Chylissa's eyes sparkled. "I knew I was right! I always am!" She giggled. "It's always either insecurities about terrible looks or nerdy tendencies or insecurities about a terrible fashion sense." She looked Glessa up and down and then added, "Or a _nasty _combination of the three."

"I'm not going to stand for you insulting me all year, okay, Little Miss Perfect? You can't just barge in here and pretend you're a saint, and then start listing why I'm insecure as if you can read my mind. I won't stand for it, Chai- Elisa."

"Chylissa," Chylissa corrected. "And look, a couple more things wrong. You, like some other antisocial people, have a tendency to be hostile around beautiful people. And you don't like it when people point out the tiniest flaw. Not good traits to posses, Glessie."

"Well, _Chai, _I think that you just might be offended if someone insulted you as soon as you met them too. Nice hair, by the way. I didn't know tumbleweeds could be made into wigs. And nice dress! But, oh, what a pity, it appears you tripped in glue and then rolled into a pot of glitter! And, oh, is that makeup you're wearing or did you just smear berries across your eyelids, cheeks, and lips?"

"How dare you?" Chylissa couldn't hide her outrage. "Just because you're ugly doesn't mean you have to take it out on me!"

"I could say the same thing!"

Chylissa took her magenta 4-inch heel off her foot and lobbed it at Glessa. She ducked, and it sailed out the open window. Chylissa snatched the other before Glessa had time to look up and hurled it as well. She had remarkably good aim, and it nailed Glessa's ear.

"Ow!" She yelled, bringing her hand to her ear, which had begun to bleed.

Chylissa just stared. A laugh bubbled inside her, and then burbled out. "Oh my Oz! OH MY OZ! Wow! I actually did it!"

"Did what?" said Glessa irritably, trying to staunch the flow of blood from her ear.

"Something that wasn't, like, shopping, or primping, or flirting, or any of the stuff I'm usually good at! I just hit your ear with a shoe! I threw it, and it hit it, right on target!"

"Good for you."

"Yay yay yay yay!" Chylissa giggled. "I hit her ear! I hit her ear! I hit it with a shoe! I hit her ear!"

"Um…" Glessa looked up at Chylissa, who appeared to be doing a victory dance. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" Chylissa giggled. Then, calming herself, said, "I'm…I'm fine. I've just always been classified as the giggly, pretty girl, and I actually, like, accomplished something real! But sorry about your ear, by the way."

"It's… fine?" This was the weirdest thing that had ever happened to Glessa, besides walking into her parents' room when… She shuddered. That talk had come way too early in her life.

Chylissa sighed. "I'm sorry that we got off to a bad start. We can't survive the year being enemies, right? Anyway. So let's talk about ourselves, get to know each other. I'll start! My name is Chylissa Giliea Rossette. I was born in the _heart _of the Emerald City. I've had this _huge _crush on the High Chancellor's son- Oh my Oz, he's _so _cute, but he didn't know I existed, until today, when I went up to him, and I tried this cheesy pickup line that I never thought would work, but it did! and so we're going out to eat, and I just don't know what I'm going to wear, because I only brought half my wardrobe here and…"


	4. Chapter 4

One moment he had been strolling next to the Chenzel building, and the next he had been clutching his leg, trying not to cry out in pain, trying to figure out what hit him. How could a pink stiletto shoe cause him this much pain? And what was a pink stiletto shoe doing flying through the air anyway?

It was probably some girl having a bad fight with her boyfriend. He'd been through many of those where things were thrown at him. Jewelry, cupcakes, headbands, purses, rocks, shoes, like this one. He'd somehow managed to do something wrong on every single date that he'd ever been on. After a couple years of that, he just had given up on dating altogether, hoping that he would find a pretty girl, give her a whirl, and she _wouldn't _throw something at him. Hopefully he would get his chance with that girl Chay…Chee…Chylissa! Chylissa, right. Who was called Lissa by her friends. Hopefully he wouldn't forget her name again. He'd already made that mistake several times, calling his dates Viola instead of Marina and Marina instead of Viola.

But this time he swore he wouldn't screw up.

He wouldn't break his poor mother's heart again what with her longing for him to find love, and he also wouldn't muddle it up because he didn't want to have another bruise from a shoe today.

No, he, Aravic Upland, was determined not to mess this one up.


	5. Chapter 5

"What do you mean, it's your first time doing eyeliner?"

"Precisely that."

"But you'll mess it up!"

"I promise I won't."

"EEP!"

"Close your eyes and hold still."

Once Chylissa's eyes were finally closed, Glessa picked up the golden eye pencil. She slowly let go of it and watched it hover. She maneuvered it with her pinkie to glide smoothly along the edge of Chylissa's already pinkified eyelids.

"Okay. I'm done."

Chylissa jumped off her chair to look in the mirror. She squealed loudly. "Perfect! Oh my Oz, it took me months to learn to do that perfectly! You're a natural. Oz, now I look even better! I didn't think it possible!"

Chylissa donned a rose-patterned dress that was the color of a pink sunset. She had gold high-heeled sandals that laced up to her knees, a gold and pink sparkly purse, and a gold choker.

"He'll fall for you as soon as he lays eyes on you," Glessa said. "How long until your date?"

"About… fifteen minutes." Glessa checked the pink clock she had decorated a third of one of the walls with. The other two-thirds were covered in pictures and an impressively large shoe closet.

"You made good time."

"I know! He's usually knocking before I've even chosen my shoes! But, Glessie, thanks for doing my makeup. You're like, a pro. I'll need you to help me for all the dates that I'll have over the course of the year. I'll even pay you, if you want me to!"

"That won't be-"

"No, no, no! Wait! I know what I'll do!"

"What?" Glessa was afraid of the answer.

"I'll make you over! You're still beautifiable somewhere down there! I'll cut your hair, and style it, and do your wardrobe, and makeup, and-"

"Maybe." As if. "Right now, we need to focus on not sounding like a ditz, yes?"

"Right."

"Ok. So you want to some across as…"

"Adorable and cute bus still intelligible."

"Intelligent?"

Chylissa furrowed her perfectly shaped eyebrows. "Isn't that what I said?"

Glessa sighed. "I'll pretend to be him, and you answer my questions."

"Okay!"

"So, Lissa, what's your favorite color?"

Chylissa giggled. "Pink. It's whimsical and can brighten up even the saddest days!"

"And what do you look for in a guy?"

"Well, he has to be kind, and true, and funny, and handsome."

"You might want to omit the handsome one."

"Why?"

"Makes you sound shallow."

Chylissa paused for a moment and tapped her chin with her long pink fingernails. "Hmmm… you're right. It's so much harder to sound smart than I thought it would be. I mean, I'm really smart on the inside, but everything I say makes me sound like a total airhead."

Glessa decided not to comment on that.


	6. Chapter 6

Aravic took a deep breath and knocked on the door. As he waited for his date to come to the door, he inhaled the perfumey smell of the pink expensive flowers he had bought for her.

Suddenly the door opened, making Aravic jump a little bit. He heard someone yell, "I'm coming!" but he couldn't focus. The girl standing there, holding the door open for her roommate was the same girl he'd seen get off the train.

"H-h-huh…" He tried to say hello, but his mouth wasn't working right. Neither was his brain.

Suddenly, the girl with the black plait was shoved aside by his pink and blond date. She smiled prettily and giggled.

"I'm ready!" she smiled.

"You look striking." He couldn't really mean that with the beauty who was watching them from behind the door.

"If you aren't back by 2 in the morning, I'll jump to conclusions and lock the door," the angel said, winking at his date.

She giggled. "Glessie!"

"Have fun."

And with that, the door shut and Aravic's heart fell a little bit. "Well, hello, Chylissa-who-is-called-Lissa-by-her-friends. I'm assuming I can call you Lissa?"

"Yeah," she said, tossing her glossy curls over one shoulder. "So, Aravic, do have anything you prefer to be called?"

"Ari's fine. Now, shall we be off to the restaurant?"

The date was going perfectly. Ari was sweet, charming, and above all, handsome. He always had a quick, witty response to everything she said.

"So, Ari, is it difficult being the High Chancellor's son?"

"Yeah, sometimes. I just feel like everyone expects so much from me."

Chylissa looked at him from under her eyelashes as they walked down the street. Dinner had been delightful, but now they were getting to the serious conversation. "I don't expect much from you."

"Really?" Aravic smiled crookedly. "Not even for me to be kind? Or handsome? Or a good kisser?"

"Well, I knew you were kind, and you've confirmed that. Same goes to being handsome. And the third one, well… I don't know if I'll ever know about that."

"You just might," he said.

He stopped walking, and she did too. He looked into her sparkling blue eyes and tilted her chin up with his finger. He leaned down slightly and their lips met.

It was soft at first, very sweet. Their lips moved in perfect harmony with each other. As the kiss got more intense, the sweetness lingered, making for an effect Chylissa had never felt or seen before.

It was simply magical.

He slid his fingers in her hair and pressed her closer to him. She put her arms around him and kept her mouth glued to his. He gently pulled away for a moment, but made sure that their foreheads were still pressed together.

"Do you want to go back to my place?"

It was all Chylissa could do to stop from giggling her heart out. "Of course," she said in a surprisingly enticing yet collected tone.


	7. Chapter 7

Aravic looked at Chylissa's sleeping head. She was sighing softly in her sleep, and he wondered why. They hadn't gone _that _far last night. True, pretty far, but not… anything truly major.

He wouldn't have been ready anyway. Not now… and not with her. She was a very pretty girl, and she proved that she was actually pretty smart and sweet and witty, but he couldn't do that with anybody after seeing his… what should he call her?

That pretty girl with the black hair that he saw and fell in love with? The one he was cheating on Chylissa with in his head? The person he imagined to be his soul mate?

He looked at Chylissa. Her hair still looked cutely messy, her face was still prettily flushed, and her makeup hadn't even run. She was perfect in every way.

Except for one thing. She may have been perfectly beautiful, perfectly smart, perfectly funny, but she wasn't perfectly perfect for him.

He wanted someone who wasn't perfect. Who had flaws that were plain, which she put out there. Who knows if that beauty he had seen earlier was that girl? He hadn't noticed any physical flaws, really… But he was sure that she would be proud of any flaws that she had.

He turned his head just in time to see Chylissa opening her eyes and smiling at him.

"Hey there, sunshine," she said in a tired voice.

"Well, hello, beautiful," he said. "Did you sleep well?"

She smiled. "Yeah. I _dreamed _about you."

"Did you now?" he asked, trying to sound tired as well, not like he'd been up for hours thinking.

"Yeah."

He stroked her blonde hair fondly. It was very soft and smelled (and tasted) like strawberries. He smiled at her and she beamed back.

"What time is it?" Chylissa reached over the thin linen sheets.

He checked the clock next to the bed. "Ten forty-seven."

Chylissa leapt up. "Seriously? Oh my Oz, I have to go! Oh my Oz, oh my Oz, oh my Oz!"

"What?" He sat up. "What's wrong?"

"I _really _have to talk to Madam Morrible and I have to be there in, like, ten minutes!"

"But-"

"I'm so sorry!" she yelled as she rushed out the door.

He fell back down into bed. At least she hadn't thrown anything at him. But it was kind of an insult to his manhood, having her run out like that. He shook his head. He just needed some more sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Glessa opened the wardrobe's doors. It was rather small, but she had it all to herself. Chylissa had the foresight to bring a large, pink one for storing all of her exquisite, ridiculously expensive clothes.

She reached into her brown, tattered suitcase and pulled out a plain black frock that had been her mother's when she was at Shiz. She made sure it wasn't wrinkled and put it in the wardrobe. She continued to put her clothes away carefully.

She had gotten used to the routine when her hit something hard. She pushed a shirt aside to reveal the handheld mirror her mother had given her. She smiled fondly at it. The metal still seemed warm from her mother's touch. She slid it into her wardrobe under a few shirts, where it would be safe.

Once she had unpacked the last of her clothes, she pulled out her Oz History Textbook. She loved reading about the Munchkin Rights Movement and about the modernization of the Emerald City. But as she flipped through the pictures, one thing seemed to be missing… There were no animals in these pictures…

"Glessie!"

Chylissa's sudden arrival made her jump. Had she been so into her textbook that she had missed the arrival of her roommate- and a woman with platinum blond curls, a magnificent emerald robe, and a rather unpleasant expression on her face?

"This is your roommate, dear?" the woman asked.

"Uh huh," Chylissa said, shaking her head overenthusiastically. "Her name's Glessa."

"How do you do?" asked Glessa.

"Yes." The woman looked confused. She whipped out a pair of spectacles and slid them across her nose, squinting. "Have we met before? You look peculiarly familiar."

Glessa tried to look politely confused. "I don't believe we have, ma'am."

The woman stuck her nose in the air. "Hmm. You indeed do look familiar. I can't quite pinpoint who exactly you look like… Well, now. No matter. I'm not here for you. Miss Rossette, sit down. Glessa, you may leave now."

Glessa rose confusedly and walked out of the room. Who was this woman? She closed the door to her bedroom and pressed her ear to it.

"Madame Morrible, I just want to let you know that it would such an honor to be able to start sorcery and-"

"Oh, do hush up, Miss Rossette! Unless you can prove that you are worthy of taking up this… this _art_, I won't let you attempt it! This is the end of the matter. I honestly can't see one reason to let you try it."

"Please, Madame Morrible!" Chylissa pleaded. "I would work so hard! I know how noble and wonderful the cause is! I promise you I would be the most hard working witch there ever was!"

Glessa leaned even more into the door. She heard a small creak and then feel right into Madame Morrible's line of sight. She had a feeling this was not someone to make an enemy of.

"What do you think you're doing, eavesdropping on us? This is a highly classified matter! You little daughter of a witc-" Madame Morrible stopped abruptly, her mouth hanging open. "That's who you reminded me of."

"Who?" Chylissa said jealously. She was supposed to be the center of attention!

"My mother, Trilanka Falkes. She used to go to school here," Glessa said smoothly, her eyes not even betraying a bit of her fear.

Madame Morrible raised an eyebrow. "Of course. Trilanka was a wonderful student. I'm so excited to meet her daughter. We'll talk further, Miss Falkes. I must depart, I'm afraid. No buts, Miss Rossette," she said to Chylissa, who was opening her mouth, still trying to persuade her. "But I've had a change of heart. You may start attending my special classes a week from today. I'll see you both very soon. Especially you, Miss Falkes. Especially you."

And with that, she was gone.


	9. Chapter 9

"Are you awake, Glessie?" Chylissa's eyes were wide with concern.

"Yeah," Glessa muttered before sitting bolt upright. "Oh my Oz!"

Chylissa put her hand on Glessa's forehead. "Hmm. No fever. That's good; classes start tomorrow. Now, what is it you're so upset about? Did you have a bad dream when you passed out?"

"Um… yeah, a really, really bad dream." Glessa tried to fake a tranquil smile, but she was panicking on the inside.

Chylissa smiled sympathetically. "Of course. You poor thing. I'll make you a mug of hot tea." She danced off into the kitchen.

She had just put the kettle on when there was a knock on the door. Chylissa slid over, pulled it open, and abruptly slammed it shut.

"Oh my Oz! OhmyOzohmyOzohmyOz!" she squealed, fluffing her hair.

Glessa sat up on the couch. "What? Who is it?"

"It's Ari! Do I look okay? Be honest!"

Glessa rolled her eyes. "You look great. Open the door!"

Chylissa delicately pulled the door open.

Aravic had a half frown on. "I'm guessing this is a bad time?"

Chylissa giggled. "No, of course not. It's never a bad time when you're around. I'm sorry I pulled the door shut on you. I think I might have had a muscle spasm. Sit down, make yourself at home."

"I brought these for you," he said, holding out a bouquet of flowers to Chylissa, but he wasn't looking at her. He was looking at the girl on the couch.

"So!" Chylissa said suddenly, making him jump. She plastered a fake smile on her face and continued. "That's just my roommate. Unfortunately, she's suffered a little dizzy, fainting spell and we probably don't want to wake her."

This, Glessa guessed, was her cue to pretend to be asleep.

"Is she okay?"

Chylissa waved her hand in the air. "I'm sure she'll be fine. I'm just making her a pot of tea."

"How thoughtful of you."  
>"Aw, it's nothing really. I just like to take care of people is all. I hope the tea is still hot when she wakes up! I think she'll be more comfortable in her own room, though, instead of out here with all this noise. Would you mind carrying her into that room over there?"<p>

"Not at all." Aravic padded lightly over to the couch and picked her up. She was heavier than Chylissa had been, but he could handle it. He walked into her room and carefully placed her in her bed.

Glessa peeked at him as he left the room feeling as if she'd just been electrocuted, but in a strange, good way. What had just happened?


	10. Chapter 10

Aravic walked away feeling very confused. Chylissa has spoken to him, and he had answered accordingly, but there had been a surreal quality to the whole thing, like he was in two places at once.

Ever since he'd first touched Chylissa's roommate, he'd felt a sort of electric hum inside himself. Everything had a strange haze over it. First it was green, then pink, and then almost black, where he couldn't see very well. He stumbled onto the street, his brow furrowed and his mind deep in thought.

"Excuse me, sir," a Law Enforcement Officer stopped him.

"Yes?" Aravic snapped out of his reverie with annoyance.

The LEO scrutinized him. "Have you been drinking, sir?"

"What? No." Aravic stepped to the side of the LEO, but was blocked.

"I think I better test that anyway. Young people can be quite dishonest. If you'll step over here, sir."

Aravic sighed and pulled his hat off, revealing his messy blond hair. The LEO stumbled back, his mouth slightly open.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Upland! Terribly sorry! I didn't recognize you with that nice hat on! Please forgive me, Mr. Upland!" The LEO bowed.

Aravic rolled his eyes. It wasn't like he was the wizard. But, he supposed, it was fun to have some authority. "I'll look past it this time, officer. But next time, I might just have to talk to my mother, do you understand me?"

"Oh, yes! Thank you, sir, thank you!"

Aravic gave a curt nod and kept walking with a smile on his face. It was always fun to play with the shallow LEOs. He continued walking down the street to the High Chancellor's Manor, where he stayed with his mother. He had been knocked out of his daze by the LEO's harsh speech.

He reached the manor and went around to the back door. The front door was showy and magnificent, what with it being solid gold adorned with intricate patterns formed by beautifully cut and polished emeralds, but was really of no use to anyone because it was too heavy to push open.

He shoved the thin wooden door open and walked into the kitchen. He was just pulling some bread down from a cupboard to make a sandwich when he heard his mother's voice seemingly come out of nowhere.

"Ari! My Oz, are you all right? You're so pale! Sit down, sweet! What happened? Are you feeling sick?"

"I'm fine, Mom!"

"You don't look fine!" Glinda squealed with concern. "Ari, something happened. What happened? Tell me!"

"Well, I'm not sure, exactly. It's no big deal."

"Ari, something happened. Tell me now. I command you. And disobeying me would get you sent to-"

"I know, I know." Aravic rolled his eyes. "Jeez. Well, I was visiting Lissa-"

"Who?"

"Chylissa, the girl I went on a date with yesterday. So, I was visiting Lissa, and her roommate was feeling sick, so Lissa asked me to carry her into her room, and I did, and then I just felt really strange inside."

Glinda's face hardened. "You're not having feelings for this other girl, are you?"

Aravic didn't notice his mother tense up. "Well, sort of… Every time I look at her, something just… Oz, this is going to sound corny. Well, something just stirs inside me. Like, I feel memories that were never there. And feelings. I keep feeling, like, guilt and anger and desperation, but most of all, I feel this love. It's not the normal kind of love, either, I don't think. It's kind of hard to describe."

Glinda had only heard him use the word "love" about a girl that was not his girlfriend and began to get angry. "Aravic Arlestein Upland! I did not raise you to be a little heartbreaker who cheats on beautiful, classy, smart girls! You can't just think about this other girl, this… What's her name?"

Aravic was taken aback by his mother's rage. "Um, I heard Lissa call her Glenna or Glessa or something like that."

"Well, you can't just parade about think about this Nessa… I mean Gless-" Glinda gasped suddenly. "What does she look like?"

Aravic looked confused. "Um, why?"

"Just answer my question."

Aravic shrugged. "Well, she has black hair, brown eyes…"

"What about her skin?"

Aravic's mouth opened. "Mother! Are you saying that the color skin she has matters? You racist-"

"No, that's not what I'm asking. Does her skin have any… tint? Like, any abnormal color?"

Aravic could recall her face exactly in his head. "Well, it's normal, I guess. Maybe a little bit toward the yellow side… Maybe even a little green…"

As Glinda fainted, Aravic barely had time to catch her.

"Mom!" he shouted.

He dragged her over to a chair and plopped her down in it. He frantically wet a towel and put it across her forehead, not really knowing if it would help or not. He recalled learning something about lowering a person's body temperature to wake them.

Glinda's eyes fluttered open. She groaned. "Ari, dear, what is going on? Why am I sprawled out over everything?"

"You fainted, Mom," he said gently.

"Why? What caused me to faint?"

"Well, I was telling you about Lissa and the other girl and…"

Glinda drew in breath sharply, causing Aravic to stop talking. Her knuckles whitened as she clutched the chair hard with her thin hands. She scowled at the floor, looking angry and frightened.

"Mom? You're still looking a little pale. Here, let me get you some water." Aravic began to get up to fetch a glass of water when Glinda pulled him down with a surprisingly strong and unyielding grip.

"No," she said hoarsely. "We need to have a talk."

"What?" He rolled his eyes. "Mom, we really don't need to be having this talk again. Lissa and I will be perfectly safe when the time comes-"

"No!" Glinda barked. "That's not what I'm saying! I just… don't want you to go off with this Glessa girl and leave Lissa behind."

Aravic's brow furrowed. "Why should you decide my relationships for me? I think I can decide for myself."

Glinda's eyes flashed with hurt that seemed like something only partially caused by Aravic. "I have a reason, Ari. I'm not meddling in your relationship because it gives me pleasure. I'm trying to do what's best for you. Listen, I, um, knew this Glessa girl's mother; I'm positive of it, and her father as well. "

"Wait, how-"

Glinda raised her hand up. "Don't interrupt me, Ari. This is important. Running off with Glessa may seem like the better option, but in the long run, you'll regret it. If she's like her mother, she'll charm you, and make you fall in love with her, and then you'll regret it! You'll regret it, I swear!"

Aravic detected a note of guilt across his mother's face. She seemed a little sad to be saying this thing about whoever the girl she once knew was.

"Ari, if you leave Lissa for Glessa, she will be heartbroken. Just think about the impact it could have! She might go to bars searching for relief, get into bed with total strangers, always be lonely, have a child whose father she doesn't know and not know what to do about it… Cause and effect, Ari! You have to think about your actions! It may seem like getting a new girlfriend to you, but it's so much more! Don't you understand, Ari?"

Aravic looked at his mother's expression, which was close to manic, and he understood. The puzzle pieces fit together perfectly.

Glessa was the girl he had heard only stories about, about an evil woman who took people from others as if they were objects. Lissa was his mother. And he was the man his mother had always loved.


End file.
